Unconditional
by Minute Rice
Summary: Shortly after Naraku is defeated, Sesshomaru fails to fully protect Rin, and she becomes a hanyou as a result. A year ago, he would have left her by the side of the road in disgust. He cares for her too much to do that now, but that doesn't mean it will be easy to help her adapt to her new form. T for violence, mild language, and disturbing imagery. NOT SesshomaruXRin.
1. Disaster

**A/N: This is NOT a SesshomaruXRin story.**

 **Now that I've scared off half of my potential readers, let me explain what this is all about. I was browsing stories featuring Rin, and I found an interesting one about her turning into an inu-youkai. However, I didn't really like the direction that the story took, and gave up on it. But the idea stuck with me. So I decided to use it here, but for something completely different. Like I said earlier, this isn't a romantic story at all. The pairing certainly has a lot of potential to be good, but I feel that their relationship is more of a father-daughter relationship than a romantic one. So, I'm going to take the idea of Rin transforming into something else and explore what that means for their father-daughter relationship. However, I will be making Rin a hanyou rather than a full youkai. A) I don't think that it's possible to get rid of human blood entirely without something as powerful as the Shikon no Tama, which is no more at the time of this story, and B) with Sesshomaru's attitude towards his little brother's bloodline, I figured that making Rin a hanyou would definitely test how far Sesshomaru has come as a character since the beginning of InuYasha. With all that out of the way, enjoy.**

* * *

Unconditional

Chapter 1: Disaster

Sesshomaru stood on a hill overlooking the village that his hanyou brother called a home. The full moon cast the quiet village in a pale light that even a human would not have had trouble seeing in. It had only been a few days since Naraku's defeat, and Rin was still recovering from the ordeal. Sesshomaru would not have remained in the area otherwise.

As a slight breeze pulled at his clothes, hair, and mokomoko, his thoughts turned towards the young girl that he claimed as his ward. He did not regret the time that he had allowed her to follow him, and he valued her life and happiness above any power he could attain. He became slightly amused at that, but his face did not show it. In giving up his quest for power, he had attained more than he'd ever had in his entire life. The Bakusaiga resting at his hip was assurance of that fact.

But, that thought brought him to his current problem. _Naraku used her to get to me,_ he thought darkly. _And that was not the first time he had done so._ Nor was Naraku the only one who had used her; the Band of Seven incident was still fresh in his mind. _Traveling with me is becoming far too dangerous for her,_ he decided. _She has also become distanced from her own kind. This will not do._

Making up his mind, he began to move towards the village. This late at night, only a few animals were out to see his passage. The dogs tried to bark at him, but one growl was enough to show them who the alpha was. He approached a very specific house. There were many scents emanating from within, but the only one he cared about was the young, flower-laced scent of his ward. He carefully stepped into the house, not wanting to disturb Rin's rest.

"I was expecting ye to appear sooner; she has been asking about you constantly," an old, tired voice said softly.

Sesshomaru was mildly surprised to find that the old miko was still awake. But, with all the injuries and other ailments incurred by that final battle, he should have known.

"I expect ye have come take her, then," Kaede stated.

"No, this Sesshomaru has not," he answered in turn.

Kaede's eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"This Sesshomaru wishes for you to look after Rin," he told her.

Her face showed even more surprise at that. "Are ye certain ye want me to look after?" she questioned hesitantly.

"Rin must re-acclimate to humans," he explained curtly.

"I will do my best," the old miko assured him. He smelled no deceit in her scent, and his ears told him that her heartbeat had remained steady. He turned to leave, but she spoke again.

"But you must tell her this yourself," Kaede ordered.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but he did not argue with her. He knew that Rin would not take it well if he just left her here without a word. He gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod, and then left without a sound.

* * *

He had left Jaken and Ah-Un in the forest around that strange well, and he was slightly relieved to see that they were both sleeping upon his return. Jaken was a good servant, but he was also irritating and tiresome. And the imp had very little patience for Rin, even if she had grown on him.

Sesshomaru seated himself near Ah-Un, and began to dwell on his thoughts. He knew that he had made the right decision, but he was uncertain of how it would affect Rin. He knew that she would obey him to the letter, but he also cared for her happiness. Perhaps he could find ways to visit her once she began to live in the village.

He leaned over to check Ah-Un's saddle bags. He was careful not to wake the two-headed beast as he dug through the bags to find what he was looking for. After only a moment of searching, he found it; a neatly folded, flower-patterned, pink and purple kimono. It was tailored by the best, and would make a suitable gift for Rin. He hoped that it would make their parting easier on her.

A small part of him that he did not consciously acknowledge also hoped that it would make the parting easier on him.

* * *

Dawn broke beautifully over the forest, stirring the great Daiyoukai from his light sleep. His servant and mount continued in their sleep, but he could tell that they would both wake soon. Knowing Rin, it would be a few hours before she woke. He would allow her that time, as well as whatever time she might need to eat. Then he would take her from the village and inform her of his decision.

Deciding that he would leave his servants, Sesshomaru stood, intent on going deeper into the forest. A good hunt would help to keep him occupied. With his speed and enhanced senses, there would not be much of a challenge, but hunting was a part of his nature, and he would not deny it.

He began walking at a steady pace, his nose, eyes, and ears completely focused on the surroundings. Already he had heard many smaller animals in the near vicinity. There were rabbits, foxes, badgers and a few birds. None of them were appealing as prey. He needed something bigger.

The scent of deer reached his nostrils, and he turned his head in order to properly examine it. It was a grown and powerful buck, going by the scent and size of the tracks. With that same look of impassivity on his face, he went to hunt his prey.

* * *

Rin awoke with a large yawn several hours after Sesshomaru had left on his hunt. When she didn't see blue sky above her, she panicked. However, she remembered where she had been the past few days and was able to get herself under control. _Lord Sesshomaru does not show fear if he doesn't need to, so Rin will do the same!_

"Ye are awake, I see," the voice of Kaede, the old miko, called.

Rin sat up to see where the old woman was, and found her sitting near the fire pit, working on a pot of stew.

"That smells very good," Rin observed cheerily. "Is it for Rin?"

"Yes, child," Kaede told her sagely.

Rin sat up with her usual energy and gusto. She was used to eating raw or stealing scraps, so the stew before her seemed absolutely heavenly. The old woman gently poured her a bowl, and Rin attacked it with great haste, enjoying the taste but not really savoring it.

She set the bowl down, a content smile on her face. "That was very good," Rin complimented. "Thank you very much, Lady Kaede."

"Ye are welcome," Kaede returned with a warm smile.

"Can Rin go outside?" the child asked, her eyes shining with hope for the answer.

Kaede just couldn't say no to that face. "Yes, ye may, but be careful. If ye become fatigued, return here."

"Yes ma'am!" Rin replied enthusiastically.

With a giggle, the little girl was up and out the door. Seeing the blue sky over her head was doing wonders for her. Being outside just felt right. She could see some of the village children playing further off. Rin had talked to a few of them, but she didn't really know any of them very well. Besides, now that she was almost better, she would be going off with Lord Sesshomaru once again. She smiled at that, and then went off to find the flowers she loved so much.

* * *

Sesshomaru's kill was clean, and he was able to keep his regal clothes spotless. He had allowed the buck to run, and it gave what could have been considered a good chase, had Sesshomaru not been savoring the hunt.

Now though, he was hovering around the village, just out of the pathetically poor sight of those humans. He knew that it would not be long before Rin woke up, and he suspected that the old miko would let her play outside today. That was when he would speak to his ward of the future.

Sure enough, Rin emerged from Kaede's home. She looked over to where other human children of her age were playing with some kind of ball. However, she did not go them, and instead headed for the forest, likely to find a meadow full of flowers. Sesshomaru would never understand her fascination with the brightly colored plants, but they made her happy, so he indulged her.

He quietly but quickly skirted around the village, intent on intercepting his ward just as she entered the woods. She was completely unaware of his presence, happily skipping farther and farther away from the village. Sesshomaru merely watched her as she walked through the forest. He was waiting until there was no chance that they would be interrupted by the irritating village humans. After nearly ten minutes, he judged that there would be no interruptions.

"Rin," he called calmly.

She quickly turned around, and the way her face lit up upon seeing him softened his scowl, ever so slightly.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" she called joyously, rushing over to greet him. She stopped a few feet from him, and started up into his face with her bright smile. "Rin is so happy to see you!"

"Hn," was all he said in response.

"Rin was going to go pick flowers, but seeing my lord is much better!" she continued.

"Walk with me," he told her flatly.

"Yes, milord!" she responded enthusiastically. After a few moments of walking through the forest, Rin spoke once again, "Where are Ah-Un and Master Jaken?"

"They are where this Sesshomaru left them."

"Oh, does that mean we're not leaving here yet?" She almost sounded disappointed at the idea.

Before Sesshomaru could respond, his senses picked up on something that should not be there. It was the scent of a youkai. It wasn't close enough to be a danger yet, but it was approaching alarmingly fast. It smelled like a weasel. Sesshomaru put a hand on Bakusaiga. Weasels weren't particularly dangerous, but, with Rin present, he would take no chances.

"Stand back, Rin," he ordered. He couldn't see her, but he knew that she was backing off even as the youkai approached.

Sure enough, not even a minute later, the weasel youkai entered Sesshomaru's sight. It was humanoid, which meant that it was more powerful than the average weasel. It was covered in brown fur, and its narrow eyes were red with malice.

"So it is true," it said in a slithering voice. "The great Sesshomaru has fallen so far as to allow a lowly human into his company," he cackled.

"Leave now, or your life is forfeit," Sesshomaru informed the youkai.

"I think not!" the youkai protested. "I think I'm going to take your title while you're—hrrk!"

Sesshomaru did not even give it the chance to finish as he sliced Bakusaiga through the pathetic youkai's torso. He stood back and watched as Bakusaiga's destructive power took root, ripping the youkai to pieces.

In flash of light, the youkai disappeared into a cloud of youki, surprising Sesshomaru. He quickly recovered and took a swing at it, but the cloud merely swerved and darted past him. _Towards Rin!_ Sesshomaru realized as a pit formed in his stomach, his mother's words to him about Rin's last chance at life echoing in his head.

He turned quickly, but it was not quickly enough. The cloud of youki had already vanished into the small body of his ward. When her eyes opened, they were red, like the youkai that Sesshomaru had just tried to vanquish.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" the laughter was a sickening mixture of Rin's and the youkai's voices. "I knew the risks, that's why I waited for you to be with your human," it told him in glee. "Now you would not dare strike me down!"

Sesshomaru was at a loss. The youkai was right. He would not strike Rin down. And he was unsure of how to deal with youkai possession, having considered the tactic too cowardly to be worth learning. Then, it hit him.

"Rin! Fight him!" Sesshomaru barked harshly.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, as if a puny human girl could—ack!"

The youkai began choking and clutching at Rin's neck. The eyes squeezed shut, and when they were opened again, they were clear, though red was bleeding back into them.

"Y-yess… Lord… Sesshomaru," Rin's voice struggled to answer.

And then she collapsed, her breathing labored as she fought the youkai with everything she had. Rin had a strong will, but Sesshomaru knew that it was only a matter of time before she succumbed to the possession. He had to get her to someone who could help. _Perhaps InuYasha's monk and the old miko,_ Sesshomaru thought desperately. He sheathed Bakusaiga and carefully lifted Rin, cradling her in his right arm. He only hoped that he could get her the help she needed before he lost her forever.

* * *

 **A/N: So that's the first chapter. Bit of a cliffhanger I know. But that's all I wanted to cover in this opening chapter. I wanted to set up the overall tone of the story, get the pieces moving, and introduce the problem. I know that Rin hasn't become a hanyou yet, despite what the description says. Don't worry, it's coming next chapter. Leave a review letting me know your thoughts. I accept all opinions that aren't flames.**


	2. Transformation

Chapter 2: Transformation

Sesshomaru rushed straight back towards the village, heedless of the terrain in his way. He could have gone faster, but he knew that Rin's human body was fragile, and he was trying to save her, not kill her. With effortless grace, he wove through the trees, and the village came into sight after only a minute. He didn't slow down, even at the surprised and fearful looks the villagers gave him as charged through, intent on reaching the old miko's house.

He quickly pushed his way inside, looking around for the old woman. With a scoff of annoyance, he realized that she wasn't there. Which meant she was probably out helping someone else. Rin was becoming feverish, and he knew that time was short. He picked up Kaede's scent and began tracking it. The villagers, with looks of shock and fear, recoiled out of his way as he tracked his quarry.

He found the old woman outside of one of the villager's houses. She looked surprised to see him, but one look at the girl in his arms caused her surprise to shift towards concern.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"A youkai has attempted to possess her," he answered with his usual calm, despite not actually feeling it.

"Give her to me," Kaede told him. "Find Miroku. He has more experience in this matter than I."

Sesshomaru handed Rin's unconscious form to the old miko, and began sniffing the air for a trace of the monk's scent.

"Hurry," Kaede urged. "We do not have much time!"

Sesshomaru nodded his understanding and took off to find the monk. He found the scent almost immediately, and set off, following the trail. It took him to the edge of the village, where he could see a house under construction. The monk, his taijiya woman, InuYasha, and several of the villagers were putting the frame together. Sesshomaru stopped in front of the seated monk, startling the young man.

"Well, if it ain't the bastard himself," InuYasha called from underneath the boards he was carrying.

Sesshomaru paid him no mind, and instead held the monk in his gaze.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Miroku said. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"A youkai has attempted to possess Rin," he curtly informed the monk.

Miroku quickly stood, understanding the urgency of the situation.

"Take me to her," the monk said with newfound urgency. "Sango, InuYasha, I trust you have things handled here?"

The hanyou responded with a gruff 'keh.' The taijiya looked at Miroku and nodded.

"Everything's in hand," she told him. "You're needed elsewhere. Go."

Goodbyes given, the monk and the Daiyoukai hurried off in the direction of Kaede's house. The walk was quiet, and too slow for Sesshomaru's tastes. But, he could see that the monk was giving his best effort to move quickly, and so did not say anything. Soon, they had crossed through the main village, and were just outside the old miko's house.

Without hesiatation, Miroku lifted the mat that served as the door, and Sesshomaru followed the monk inside. Rin was laid on a futon in the center of the house, near the fire pit. The Daiyoukai could smell the herbal tea that Kaede was brewing.

"How is she?" the monk asked the miko without preamble.

"Fading," was Kaede's quick response. "I'm brewing a tea that will help her strength, but this is an unusual form of possession."

Miroku knelt down to examine the girl, waving his hands over her and muttering chants to himself. Sesshomaru could feel the monk's reiki flaring. It wasn't enough to be of any danger to him, but it still made his natural instincts as a youkai bristle.

"You're right," Miroku concluded grimly. "The youki surrounding her is being drawn into her body. And I don't sense the possessing youkai anywhere nearby." He looked at Sesshomaru. "Tell me exactly what happened."

"A weasel youkai was foolish enough to attack this Sesshomaru," the Daiyoukai began. "He was quickly struck with Bakusaiga. As he was dying, he exploded into a cloud of youki, and attacked Rin."

"I was afraid of that," the monk muttered. "This is bad. The youkai intends to adapt her body for its own use. It's a rare and virulent form of possession. She's already becoming accustomed to the youki flowing within her. If I attempt to purify it, the shock could kill her."

"Aye," Kaede agreed grimly. "I have heard of such forms of possession, but have never had the misfortune of seeing it."

"Can you save her?" Sesshomaru demanded of the monk.

"As it is… no. The most I can do is keep the youkai from controlling her mind, which I've already done."

Silence reigned in the room for a few moments as the three of them absorbed what had just been said. Sesshomaru brooded quietly, trying to think of something, anything that would save his ward.

"Are ye certain?" Kaede asked grimly.

"I've seen this only once before," Miroku explained darkly. "When I attempted to exorcise the youkai, both it and the victim died."

"Both?" Kaede asked.

"That's the reason this form of possession is rare," Miroku explained. "If the youkai fails, it dies. Unfortunately, without the youkai's youki, the victim also dies."

There was another silence, punctuated only by Rin's labored, ragged breaths. Kaede finished brewing the tea, and she eased it into the little girl's mouth. The old miko gently made sure that the brew was swallowed. Rin's face scrunched unconsciously. If it tasted as bad as it smelled, Sesshomaru could understand why. He thought about the monk's words. Then, it hit him.

"If this Sesshomaru were to offer his own youki, would she survive?" he questioned.

Miroku looked at the floor, deep in thought. It was nearly a minute before the monk spoke again.

"It's… possible," the monk slowly acknowledged.

"Do it," Sesshomaru ordered.

With a sullen look, the monk began preparing to exorcise the invading youkai from Rin's body. Sesshomaru knelt down next to his ward, gently taking her small hand his larger, clawed one. He loosened his hold on his youki, allowing it to flow freely. His clothes and hair began moving, as if in a breeze, despite being indoors. He then directed it towards Rin. He could feel the youki of the weasel resisting his own. Its grip on Rin's body was strong.

After several minutes of chanting, Miroku pulled an ofuda from his robes. Sesshomaru could feel the purifying power coming off the thin strip of paper. With his close proximity to Rin, he knew that the purification was going to feel… unpleasant.

Miroku's power pulsed as he activated the spell on the ofuda, and gently placed it on Rin's forehead. The spell took hold, and lightning began shooting from the ofuda as it purified the weasel's youki. Rin's face scrunched in discomfort, before it became a grimace of pain. The look of pain increased, and the girl began moaning. The moans became louder and louder, and then she began screaming.

Sesshomaru held onto Rin's hand as tightly as he could without breaking the delicate bones. He could feel his youki being absorbed into her body as the weasel's youki was purified into nothingness. His close proximity to the purification spell was starting to burn the hand that was holding onto Rin. The sensation was extremely discomforting, but he would endure. The girl's screams, though, pained him like nothing else would.

"Be strong, Rin," he whispered quietly into her ear.

A seeming eternity passed before Miroku removed the ofuda from Rin's forehead. He sagged backwards in exhaustion. Sesshomaru could feel the monk's diminished reiki. The exorcism had taken a lot out of him. Rin's screams had stopped as well. Sesshomaru listened closely, and, to his great relief, the girl was still breathing. He attempted to draw back his youki, but Rin's body continued to absorb it.

"Continue giving it to her until her body no longer absorbs it," Miroku told him in between ragged breaths. "I don't know what effects this will have on her," the monk admitted. "I've never heard of anyone surviving this."

Sesshomaru nodded, scooping the girl into his arms, and preparing to leave.

"Where are ye going?" the old miko asked in alarm.

"Rin requires this Sesshomaru's presence," the Daiyoukai explained, "and he has no wish to remain in a human village for longer than necessary."

Without another word, he left, angling to the forest where his camp was. The journey was quiet, and Rin remained unconscious. He could feel her continuing to absorb his youki, and was concerned that she might not stop. The weasel youkai was lucky that it was already dead. He would have visited such horrors upon it for what it had done to his ward.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" the shrill, grating voice of Jaken called as Sesshomaru entered the clearing. "I was wondering when you would return! I was beginning to fear that you had left me behind!" The imp looked at the girl in Sesshomaru's arms. "Yikes! What has happened to Rin!?"

"There was a youkai attack," Sesshomaru explained curtly. "She is resting now."

"Of, course, milord," the imp replied.

Ah-Un grunted in concern, coming over to stare at Rin with both of its heads. The dragon sniffed at her, trying to determine whether or not she was okay. Sesshomaru allowed it. When the dragon's curiosity was satisfied, he lumbered over to his previous resting spot.

Things stayed like that for the remainder of the day. As the long hours passed, he could feel the pull on his youki lessen, almost becoming nonexistent as night fell. As the night hours lengthened, Ah-Un, and then Jaken, fell asleep. Not long after midnight, Sesshomaru did the same, Rin still in his arms.

* * *

When Sesshomaru awoke, he was glad to feel that the drain on his youki had stopped completely. He could hear Rin breathing steadily, and the sound of her heartbeat was stronger than ever. _Too strong,_ Sesshomaru thought in sudden alarm. Her scent was also different. It was still hers, but there was something else in it. Something that smelled a lot like him.

He looked down and was shocked to see that the being in his arms was no longer human. It was still Rin, but she was completely different. Gone was the small, black-haired girl that had followed him for the last year. In his arms was a white-haired, puppy-eared, sharp-clawed inu-hanyou. As she stirred, he could see that a mark of the crescent moon, one that matched his own perfectly, had appeared on her forehead.

Sesshomaru sat shock still, unsure of what to make of the girl in his arms. This… changed a lot. He didn't know what to do. A year ago, he would have left her to fend for herself, much as he had done to his little brother ages before. But, now… it was different. First thing was first though, he would have to help her adapt to her new, strong senses. And he would have to do that soon, if the stirring in his arms was any indication.

The girl moaned a bit as she exhaustedly stirred.

"Rin feels funny," she mumbled. Instantly, that seemed to wake her up, and her eyes snapped open, and she took a deep breath.

Sesshomaru winced at that, knowing that the reaction would not be pleasant. Immediately, Rin screamed, covering her eyes, and flattening her new ears against her skull. She began coughing, likely not used to all the smells that her new nose was telling her.

Sesshomaru embraced her, telling her, "Focus on me. Do not allow your senses to rule you."

"Yes, my lord," Rin whimpered.

It took several minutes, but the panicked girl eventually calmed down. She looked cautiously up into his eyes, and he could see that her once-brown irises were now the same gold as his own eyes, and those of his half-brother.

"What is wrong with Rin?" the girl asked quietly, trying not aggravate her now-sensitive hearing. "Everything is too bright, and too loud, and too smelly."

"What do you remember?" Sesshomaru asked her in a lowered voice.

"You came to see Rin in the forest," she replied in a whisper. "She was talking to you, and then the weasel youkai came. After that, everything hurt. And then Rin woke up."

"You were possessed," Sesshomaru told her bluntly, to which she replied with a sharp gasp. "InuYasha's monk healed you, but you required the youki of this Sesshomaru to live. Your body absorbed it, and you are now an inu-hanyou."

"Rin… is?" she hesitantly questioned. Her voice quivered ever so slightly, giving away her fear.

"Yes," he told her.

He could smell the tears forming long before they fell. He looked down into Rin's golden eyes, and could see them threatening to fall. He quirked an eyebrow in question.

"Does that mean that Rin will have to leave Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked, one of the tears slipping free.

"No, it does not," he told her, internally berating himself. She had apparently heard of his opinion of InuYasha's bloodline. Jaken really needed to keep his mouth shut sometimes.

The relief that lit up her face was palpable, but the tears didn't dry up just yet. She looked up at him, eyes hoping against hope that he was telling her the truth. He gently set her on the ground, and moved over to where Ah-Un and Jaken still slept. He looked up as he walked, noting that the sun had not yet risen, but was close to rising. He carefully removed the kimono from the saddle bags. He then turned to where Rin was sitting patiently, eyes closed and ears still flattened.

"Look," he told her.

She cracked her eyes open ever so slightly. They widened when she saw the kimono in his hand. And then immediately narrowed again as the low light overwhelmed her.

"It's beautiful," she told him in awe. "Is it for Rin?"

"Yes," he answered her. "This Sesshomaru had planned to give it to you yesterday."

Despite her senses still threatening to overwhelm her, she stood up energetically and accepted the gift, unfolding and looking at the flower pattern.

"Rin loves it!" she exclaimed in excitement, though not very loudly.

Sesshomaru allowed himself the smallest of smiles at that. It would have been nothing more than a smirk to the casual obsever, and it went completely unnoticed by Rin, but it was there, nonetheless. _This Sesshomaru cannot leave her here now_ , he thought. _At the very least, this Sesshomaru should be able to teach her to defend herself. It would take care of one of the dangers facing her._

* * *

 **A/N: So, that's it. The story is now set up. I'm not expecting this to be a particularly long story, but I still have plans for what I want to do with it, and where I want it to go. Not sure when the next update will come, but it will not be out as quickly as this chapter was. Please leave a review. All non-flamey opinions are welcome.**


	3. Rin The Hanyou

Chapter 3: Rin the Hanyou

Sesshomaru was worried. Like the rest of his emotions, he refused to allow it to show, but it was there nonetheless. Rin was admiring the way her new kimono looked on her, but she was so much more subdued than she usually was. He understood that her new senses were making things difficult for her, but to be affecting her so much…

"Is something wrong, Lord Sesshomaru?" the girl questioned, her voice lowered far below its normal tones.

"Nothing, why?" he responded to her.

"You have been quiet," she stated. After a pause, she added, "Well, more quiet than usual."

"Hn."

The girl abandoned her current line of thought, and instead looked at her reflection in the water of the nearby stream once again. She seemed unsure of what to think about her new features. Her gaze lingered in the reflection, and, following her eye line, he could tell that she was staring at her ears and the top of her forehead.

"Why does Rin have Lord Sesshomaru's mark on her forehead?" she asked.

He looked at the purple crescent moon adorning her forehead. To be honest, he wasn't certain. He had never heard of a hanyou inheriting youkai markings. The only time he had seen anything even resembling it is when InuYasha's youkai blood took control of his body and mind.

"This Sesshomaru is uncertain," he admitted to her.

Her face fell, clearly disappointed at not being able to know. As he watched her, though, the disappointment slowly started to fade. Her body language and scent shifted towards a different emotion. _Is that… pride?_ he asked himself.

"Rin is happy," she proclaimed. "She has Sesshomaru's mark! This marks her as a part of his pack!"

She winced as her voice rose, ears flattening against her head, still unused to being able to hear everything so clearly.

"You have always been a part of this Sesshomaru's pack," he told her.

She giggled softly, her ears coming partly unglued from her head. "Rin knows," she said, keeping her voice down. "But, now, everyone can know."

"My lord!" Jaken's grating voice rang. "Rin! Where are you!?"

The imp stumbled into the clearing, nearly tripping over a root that was up to his knee. After regaining his balance, he looked up and saw Sesshomaru staring down at him.

"Milord!" he cried in his typical, shrill voice, causing Rin's ears to once again flatten against the top of her head. "There you are! I was worried when I woke up and couldn't find you. I thought you might have left me behind agai…" Jaken abruptly cut his sentence short as he noticed Rin. Jaken had to do a double take to make sure that he wasn't seeing things.

"Rin! What have you done?!" Jaken exclaimed. "You're… you're… a hanyou!" The imp's expression hardened. "Do you have any idea how much trouble this is going to cause Lord Sesshomaru?! He may wander a lot, but he is heir to the Western Lands! He can't have a half-breed hanging-"

"Jaken," Sesshomaru interrupted.

Jaken yelped and looked up nervously at his lord. His face seemed to be impassive as usual, but Jaken could see the fire in his eyes that promised pain, and very soon.

"I'm about to be hit, aren't I?" the imp asked in a resigned tone.

Whack.

As Jaken dizzily stumbled back to the clearing that Ah-Un was probably still waiting in, Sesshomaru turned his attention back to Rin. He had seen her sad reaction to Jaken's thoughtless words, and his concern had spiked. But, she always seemed to derive entertainment from watching him strike Jaken, and he was glad to see that her spirits had been somewhat lifted by the display of violence.

"Are you all right, Rin?" Sesshomaru asked her, just to be sure.

"Rin will be fine," she replied. "Jaken can be silly sometimes," she added with a genuine smile.

As Sesshomaru looked at her smile, the fangs peeking out of the corners of her mouth drove home the fact that she really was a hanyou. And, aside from teaching her to handle her senses and maybe to defend herself, he had no idea what to do about it. Jaken's words may have been careless, but they were not entirely inaccurate. This was going to cause problems if and when he eventually returned home. The fact that she now smelled like him and bore his mark was only going to cause further problems.

The court would assume that she was his child. Given his long and publically stated dislike of humans and especially hanyou, there would be a great outrage. He could explain the truth, but he hadn't returned to his father's palace since leaving to seek the Tetsusaiga nearly a decade ago. None would believe that Rin was once a human, or that she had no relation to the Daiyoukai. If his scent becoming part of hers wasn't enough, the mark on her forehead would serve as "undeniable" proof.

 _I must at least try to see if her former state of existence can be recovered,_ he resolved. But, to do that, he would have to speak to the monk and the old miko, again. He did not relish the thought of interacting with them, and the idea of being even further in their debt nearly convinced him to abandon this line of thought. Nearly.

"Rin," he called.

The girl, who had been sitting quietly, focusing her senses on Sesshomaru like he had told her, looked up to her lord.

"We are returning to the village," he stated.

"Why?" the girl asked. "Rin can smell it from here," she continued to complain. "Rin doesn't want to be in that smell."

Sesshomaru was shocked. Never once had the girl defied him on anything. He understood that she was overwhelmed by her senses, but for it to cause this kind of open defiance? A dissatisfied growl escaped his throat before he could stifle it. Rin immediately lowered her head, baring the side of her neck.

 _She understood that?_ he wondered. He thought for a moment that she was just reacting to the growl, but her pose was too specific. She was submitting to him in the way that the growl had demanded. _So, she has inuyoukai instincts._ That would make some things easier, at the very least.

"Come," he ordered as he began walking towards the village. Head still bowed, she made to follow him.

"Rin is sorry," she said after a while.

Sesshomaru said nothing in response to her apology. He knew she meant it. That was enough.

* * *

InuYasha cursed loudly as he dropped the beam on his foot. He knew it wouldn't stay hurting for very long, but that beam was still really heavy.

"InuYasha," Miroku playfully admonished. "You should know better than to curse like that in a monk's presence, especially while building his house."

"Yeah, like the lecher's got any room to talk," the hanyou muttered, picking the beam back up and easing to where it needed to go. He didn't much like following the direction of the humans helping to build Miroku's house, but he knew squat about construction. And not being called a monster by people was a nice change.

"Miroku," Sango called to her husband dangerously. "You shouldn't admonish InuYasha like that. I gave you enough bruises and palm-marks to prove that you're not much better."

The monk rubbed the back of his head idly, knowing that his wife was definitely right.

InuYasha ignored to two of them, wholly focused on the task of helping them build their house. _It wouldn't kill that damned monk to lend a hand, now would it?_ he thought to himself. He just grunted and went to pick up another beam. That's when his brother's scent practically slapped him in the face. He groaned out loud, not ready to deal with the bastard right now. His hand subconsciously drifted towards Tetsusaiga.

"What is it?" Sango asked in concern.

"The bastard," he responded darkly. "He's coming back."

Sango blinked in confusion, not sure why Sesshomaru was still around in the first place. Miroku, on the other hand, had a vague idea as to what might be going on.

"Let me deal with him, InuYasha," Miroku requested. "It probably has to do with yesterday's exorcism," he added grimly.

InuYasha let out a 'keh,' but his hand never left Tetsusaiga's hilt. After almost no time at all, InuYasha could see Sesshomaru approaching from the forest. He was as impassive as ever, and InuYasha had to resist the urge to wipe that smug impassivity off of his face. But, seeing as they had reached an understanding of sorts, he quashed that instinct.

"Whad'ya want, bastard?" InuYasha growled out.

"It is of no concern to you, little brother," Sesshomaru responded, the Daiyoukai turning his attention to the monk. "Something has happened to Rin," he informed Miroku.

Miroku was standing in an instant, prepared for the worst. InuYasha was dangerously close to drawing Tetsusaiga. With Kagome trapped on the other side of the well, he would not allow the bastard to take one of his friends from him.

"This Sesshomaru is not here to kill anyone. The humans would already be dead if that were the case," Sesshomaru added calmly. "Rin, come out from behind me."

Much like Jaken before, InuYasha had to do a double take to be sure he wasn't seeing things. Seeing as the image before him didn't go away, his only choice was to accept it. Somehow, some way, Sesshomaru's young ward was an inuhanyou. The others had equally shocked reactions. InuYasha did the only thing he could think to do: he cursed harshly.

"Is there a way to undo this?" Sesshomaru asked the monk, ignoring the ever so slightly hurt reaction it drew from Rin.

InuYasha watched as the monk carefully considered his words. He hoped to whatever gods were watching the monk's answer didn't raise Sesshomaru's ire. Naraku was dead. InuYasha wanted to avoid emotionally devastating, life-threatening battles for the foreseeable future.

"The only thing I can think of would be to purify her," Miroku answered after a long silence.

"That won't work," InuYasha countered immediately.

"Why not?"

InuYasha was stunned that the question had not come from Miroku, but Sesshomaru. He looked at his older half-brother, realizing that the cold bastard cared more for the little girl than InuYasha would have thought possible.

Shoving those thoughts aside, he continued, "Mt. Hakurei." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the mere mention of the name. "While we were fighting the Band of Seven, I went too far into the holy barrier and got my ass purified. I became a human. As soon as the barrier came down, my youki came back and I was a hanyou again."

"You are telling this Sesshomaru that purification is only a temporary solution?" Sesshomaru asked, the hard glint still in his eyes.

"Yes," InuYasha stated resolutely.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. InuYasha noticed that Miroku was gripping his staff a little tighter, and that Sango had retrieved Hiraikotsu at some point in the conversation. InuYasha had one hand on Tetsusaiga, just in case Sesshomaru tried anything.

"Rin," Sesshomaru stated, breaking the tension.

"Yes, my Lord?" the little girl stated quietly, which InuYasha found unusual.

"Stay with the monk and his wife," Sesshomaru ordered. The little girl nodded and made her way over to Sango and Miroku. "InuYasha, this Sesshomaru will have words with you." The Daiyoukai turned and began walking towards the forest. In the interest of keeping the uneasy peace peaceful, InuYasha followed.

They walked in silence for an uncomfortably long time, going deep into the forest. InuYasha kept telling himself that if Sesshomaru wanted to kill him, he would have done so back at the village. It didn't help his peace of mind much. InuYasha dared not break the silence. While he was sure he could beat Sesshomaru under the current conditions, he knew just how fierce an opponent Sesshomaru could be.

Finally, after what seemed like an age, Sesshomaru stopped.

"This Sesshomaru," the Daiyoukai began, speaking as if he was pained by what he intended to say, "is… uncertain… of how to proceed."

"Why talk to me?" InuYasha asked, curiosity over the strange statement overcoming his wariness.

"You are hanyou," Sesshomaru answered, as if that explained everything.

But, InuYasha decided to think for once, rather than going with his knee-jerk reaction. Kagome had sat him plenty of times for that.

"It won't be easy for her," InuYasha began sincerely. "Humans will hate and fear her for her youkai blood. Youkai will look down on and hate her for her human blood. In this world, hanyou are… viewed as filth." InuYasha's eyes took on a shadowed, haunted look as he spoke, mind drifting back to his 'childhood.'

"What… should I do?"

InuYasha looked at his brother, showing weakness in front of him for the first time in their long, violent history. "Don't…" the hanyou began slowly, having difficulty with the words. "Don't… don't do to her what you did to me. Don't abandon her."

* * *

 **A/N: Well, it's been a while. Truth be told, I lost my motivation halfway through this chapter. That happens to me a lot. However, about three weeks ago, I worked it back up. 'So why wasn't this chapter out three weeks ago?' you may ask. Well, as I sat down to finish the chapter, my laptop broke. The hinge separated from the baseplate, making it so that I couldn't open the computer without causing more damage, and it took a lot of time and money to fix it. I literally just got it back today. Anyway, please leave reviews. They're nice. It also makes me happy when people decide to follow, even if they don't leave reviews. It shows me that people are reading my work. Hopefully, my motivation will stay up, and I can get the next chapter out sooner.**


	4. Adaptiational Difficulties

Chapter 4: Adaptational Difficulties

It had been a week since the transformation, and the headaches refused to go away. Rin had started experiencing them while she was waiting for Lord Sesshomaru in Sango and Miroku's new house. She didn't know why her head had suddenly starting hurting, only that it did. The pain had been off-and-on ever since then, and Rin's tears from the pain seemed unending.

The only upside in all this pain and difficulty was that Lord Sesshomaru was by her side the entire time, helping her to adapt. He coached her on how to focus her new senses, to tune out that which she didn't want to be aware of. It was slow going, though, and her young brain was simply overwhelmed with everything it was being told by her senses. She spent most of that week either riding Ah-Un or being carried by her Lord.

She liked it when her Lord carried her. His strong scent was very calming for her, and much easier to focus on than anything else he'd been using to teach her. Her headaches would always go down in these moments, but never vanish.

"Milord, will you not tell your faithful servant where we are headed?" Jaken's voice interrupted.

While her lord was a calming presence, Rin was increasingly finding Jaken to be an irritation. His grating, shrill voice exacerbated her headaches every time he spoke up. Especially now, while she was riding Ah-Un, and not in her Lord's arms. The new interruption to the silence was a like a knife being stabbed into her head through her ears.

"Master Jaken, please be quiet," Rin moaned.

Her plea went ignored by the imp.

"But, Lord Sesshomaru has been leading us aimlessly for a week. I merely wish to know what the purpose is. Not that I would ever deem myself worthy of questioning my Lord's judgement, of course. I merely- Ack!"

Jaken stumbled around dizzily, trying his best to recover from the pebble that had impacted against his forehead. Normally, Rin would have giggled girlishly at the display, but right now all she could focus on was her relief that the imp was no longer speaking. Her head still hurt though. She just closed her eyes and tried to shut out the world around her. Her only comfort was that Lord Sesshomaru had told her that she would eventually become used to the sensations her brain was being assaulted with.

* * *

Sesshomaru cast his senses back to where Rin was, following on Ah-Un. He didn't actually look, as he had to keep his eyes peeled for any youkai stupid enough to try and attack him. The few that did were dispatched of without mercy or hesitation. After what had happened a week ago, Sesshomaru was not taking _any_ chances with Rin's safety.

At the same time, he was also trying to teach her to master her senses. Her progress, however, was frustratingly slow. She was in such pain from her headaches that she often couldn't pay too much attention to what Sesshomaru was trying to teach her. He found it to be frustrating. It was his power that had changed her to what she was. His power was perfect, even if he no longer placed an arrogant level of pride in it. So why was it causing his ward so much pain?

He was so, so tempted to do what his father had done with him when he was trying to master his senses as a pup. To force her to focus through her pain, to master her senses against the overwhelming odds. It had certainly worked with him, after all. But he restrained himself. Rin's case was different, as her mind was accustomed to human senses, and Sesshomaru was well aware of how weak those could be. InuYasha had failed to spot him many times on the night of the new moon.

So, that left him in his conundrum. Part of the reason that training Rin in her new senses was so hard was because she was in so much pain. It distracted her, and made it difficult for her to pay attention. Sesshomaru was certain that most of his lessons went unabsorbed. It was also frustrating for him to see her in so much pain and be unable to stop it. Before, any source of pain for Rin was external and easily dealt with. This time, it was her own body betraying her. That was an opponent that Sesshomaru couldn't slay. He'd never lay a hand on her with intent to harm.

The group continued walking on in silence. Sesshomaru had already given up trying to coach Rin for the day, which was why she was riding Ah-Un. Jaken was being incessantly annoying, despite knowing the immense pain that his voice caused Rin. Honestly, sometimes Sesshomaru wondered if striking him was somehow impairing his tiny brain. Sometimes.

Sesshomaru looked up to the sky, making note of the sun's position. He was alarmed to see just how close it was to the horizon. He had never been so distracted as to forget marking the position of the sun. That meant that he would need to find a place to make camp.

"Jaken," he called.

"Yes, milord?" the imp instantly responded.

"We are making camp. Find food for Rin."

"Yes, milord," Jaken replied instantly, grumbling to himself as he went about his task.

As the night wore on, Sesshomaru was reminded of yet another one of the problems Rin faced with being a hanyou. She needed less sleep than when she was human. So, she spent more of her nights awake and in pain rather than blissfully asleep. Even when she was asleep, like now, it was light and fitful. She hadn't been asleep long, but Sesshomaru could tell that she would wake soon.

Something had to change.

* * *

Rin did not sleep well. But that was normal. Her headaches were so overwhelming that any sleep she did get was completely restless. But, there was something more to it than that. Ever since she had become a hanyou, she had noticed that her body simply didn't want to sleep as much as it used to. She wished that it wasn't like that. Sleep was one of the only times that she didn't feel the pain.

As the sun crested the horizon, Rin dug her face into her hands, willing the light to go away. She was beginning to like the night more. There was less light to invade her eyes. In the day, all that extra light was just another source of pain for her headaches.

"Rin," she heard her Lord call.

"Yes, my Lord?" she responded weakly.

"Stand up," he ordered simply.

Rin so desperately wanted to protest. More than any other time she had been with her Lord, she wanted to protest this simple order. But, ever since the incident where she didn't want to go to the village, there had been a part of her that demanded she respect him. Not that she didn't respect him to begin with, but this felt… different.

So, despite the pounding in her brain, she got to her feet. Her eyes were squinted in an attempt to block out the light, and she could feel her puppy ears flattening against her head to help drown out the sound. But, she had obeyed her Lord.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru began. "You will ride Ah-Un today."

Rin perked up a little bit at that. Usually, Jaken riding Ah-Un meant that her Lord would be carrying her and trying to help coach her in training her new senses.

"Rin," he addressed her, "you will follow me on foot."

She almost protested this. She was so, so close to lashing out in rebellion. How could he ask her to do that? He knew how much pain she was in. But, she also knew that he was her Lord, and he often knew more things than she did. Plus, there was that new, deep part of her.

"Yes, my Lord," she managed to get out through gritted teeth.

If Sesshomaru noticed her uncharacteristically dark tone, he chose not to mention it.

* * *

Sesshomaru started the day at a pretty slow pace. He was sure that Jaken would have had little to no trouble keeping up if the imp had stayed on foot. In fact, Jaken had asked why he was riding Ah-Un at all, several times. Sesshomaru ignored him, and the imp eventually let it drop. As the day wore on though, he began to subtly increase the pace.

Honestly, the Daiyoukai was surprised that he hadn't thought of this solution sooner. Youkai and hanyou were practically brimming with energy; both youki and natural energy. On top of that, Rin was a child, and an energetic one at that. And she had been using all that energy to focus on her pain. Sesshomaru's lessons were a mild distraction at best. And all that time spent riding along inactively could not have been healthy for the little girl.

Hence, the current solution. His slight increases of pace went completely unnoticed by Rin for quite some time. Each time he moved a bit faster, she unconsciously moved to keep up. She was still in pain, he could tell, but she made no complaint. Before long, their pace was moving at the average human run speed. It was still a relatively easy pace for Sesshomaru, who prided himself in his speed. Rin, however, was beginning to notice that things were different.

It was the slightest change in her scent that alerted him. That little twinge of suspicion. As if to confirm it for her, Sesshomaru added a little bit more speed.

"Why are we going faster, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked with a slight hint of breathlessness.

"You need to exercise," he told her simply.

Rin took his answer for what it was worth, and simply kept following him, steadily increasing her speed as he increased his. She was beginning to feel a little tired, and not the same kind of tired caused by her constant headaches, which had receded to dull hum for the moment. She was surprised to note, however, that as Sesshomaru moved faster, it was feeling… good. It felt good to move.

Now that she had noticed, Sesshomaru was increasing the pace at a much more noticeable rate. Rin was having to focus more and more on the ground ahead of her if she didn't want to trip and fall. And then they really began to pick up speed.

The little hanyou girl was surprised by her own capabilities as she poured on more and more speed. She knew that she would never be able to move that fast as a human. She tripped and stumbled a few times, and that forced her to keep her senses focused ahead of her. And then she realized why Sesshomaru was doing this.

Not only did the exertion feel great to her hanyou body, the high speed forced her to focus her senses so that she wouldn't trip and fall. Her Lord was training her today, just in a different way than she had expected. And, as she continued to run, she realized that she had absorbed more of his training than she realized.

* * *

Sesshomaru stopped at close to sunset. After he had Rin running at a decent speed, he maintained the pace. It wasn't nearly as fast as he was capable of, but he didn't want to push his ward too hard. He also noticed with satisfaction that she had caught on to the point of the lesson at some point during the run. He was also pleased to note that she was no longer complaining about her headaches. He could tell that she was still in pain, but she seemed less debilitated by it.

He left them at the clearing, ordering Jaken to set up the camp, allowing Rin to rest. He had a feeling that she would sleep well tonight. But first, he had something else to take care of. One of the main reasons that he had Rin retrieve her own food in the past was that she couldn't eat what he did. Humans simply could not handle eating raw meat. He knew that humans sickened easily if they tried it. But, now that she was hanyou, he could retrieve food for her.

Which is why he was now stalking through the forest. It was an impressive feat, considering that he was using his true form to hunt. His body was currently larger than most human buildings, yet he moved it with a silent grace. He wanted this hunt to be quick, so that he could return to Rin's side. It wasn't long before he scented a small herd of deer. Perfect.

The poor animals never knew what hit them. Sesshomaru let most of them escape, not seeing the need for unnecessary killing. He did, however, kill off two of them. The first he ate whole. It had been a while since he had a full meal, and he figured it was time to fix that. He ate most of the second as well, leaving some of better parts to bring back to Rin.

He gathered his spoils and began returning to camp. He hoped that getting her to eat the meat wouldn't be too difficult. Her human sensibilities would likely be disgusted, but he knew that she'd be hungry after not only her day of exertion, but her generally subdued diet over the past week.

Upon returning to camp, he was pleased to note that Jaken had done a good job setting up the camp. Ah-Un was settled in some grass, which the beast could eat when it wanted, a large fire was roaring, and Rin had comfortable sleeping attire.

"Welcome back, my Lord," Rin greeted, some her previous enthusiasm having returned.

Sesshomaru dropped the meat in front her with a simple order, "Eat."

Like he had predicted, Rin's face scrunched up with disgust at first. But, as the smell hit her nose, he could tell that it tickled her inuyoukai instincts. Curiously, she used her claws to slice off a piece, and, albeit with some hesitation, ate it. That one bit was enough to open the floodgates of her hunger. Her stomach rumbled, and she began digging into the meat with vigor.

Sesshomaru strode over to Ah-Un, intent on retrieving a towel from the saddlebags. He handed the simple cloth to Rin just as she was finishing up.

"Clean yourself," he ordered.

Rin took the cloth and complied with her Lord's orders. He was pleased to note that, despite her ravenous eating, she had kept mostly clean. Her face and hands were filthy, but her clothes were mostly pristine.

"Is this how you normally eat, Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked curiously.

"Rin!" Jaken began scolding. "You do not have the right to question Lord Sesshomaru over his eating habits! That is a personal, private affair and-"

"Yes, Rin," he replied in answer to the girl's question, shocking Jaken into silence. "I find that my food is more enjoyable that way."

"Rin understands," the girl stated with a smile, a genuine smile. "But she still likes human food more."

"Understandable, given your history," he told her.

Sesshomaru sat down with his back against a tree, settling down for the night, but never allowing his senses to slack. It was good for him to see her coming back into herself. He would have to make these runs a regular thing, seeing as this one had done wonders for her. He hoped that, soon, she would be the same, enthusiastic, energetic little girl that had thawed his heart.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, I got that chapter done pretty quick. It only took me two days to write the first draft. While, that might not be impressive considering its length, it's a personal improvement. Anyway, I would now like to take some time and give a shoutout to my best friend and beta, RonnyBravo the Breadghost. Despite the fact that he's mostly moved on from writing fanfiction, he still puts up with my requests to proofread and edit my work. It's especially impressive in this story, because he knows pretty much nothing about InuYasha, and has no interest in getting into the series. Without him, this story wouldn't be nearly as clean as it is. Anyway, reviews are always appreciated. I'll see you all in the next update.**

 **P.S. To the anonymous guest who reviewed the last chapter, I hope you'll take this as confirmation that I haven't given up on the story. I would like to have told you that directly, but I can't reply to guest reviews.**


	5. Natural Difficulties

Chapter 5: Natural Difficulties

The headaches were worth it. A week ago, that thought would never have crossed Rin's mind. The pain had been _so_ excruciating. But then Sesshomaru saved her from it, like he always did. And now, though the headaches hadn't entirely disappeared yet, Rin was beginning to appreciate what she had been missing as a human.

She had always loved flowers. She loved their vibrant colors, their wonderful fragrances. Even when her family had been taken by the bandits, she had held onto her love for flowers. It was one of few memories she had harbored from those days. And now, to be surrounded by flowers in a meadow, she was able to appreciate them in ways that had been impossible for her before.

The young hanyou drew another breath through the nose, taking the time to really savor the scents of the field. It was almost overwhelming, and she could feel her brain straining to understand it. But it was worth it. She could trace each individual scent back to its source. She could separate the smells into individual lines in her mind's eye. But it was when she allowed them all to come together that Rin loved her new sense of smell the most. Yes, it was a lot, but the beautiful cacophony was beyond worth it.

The sight of it all was also spectacular. She could see everything so clearly. Details that would have been easily missed by the human eye were caught by hers with ease. And she could see the colors with such an intense vibrancy. Before, the light had seemed to be too much. Now, she couldn't get enough.

Rin decided that she was done admiring. Laughing with sheer glee, she leapt through the field, feeling exhilarated in her new hanyou abilities. She could jump so high and far, the flower field moved under her in a rush. The wind in her face, the sensation of motion, using her senses to their fullest in order to maintain direction; all of it was an extraordinary experience that she wished she could continue forever. But, she also had other ways to play in a flower field. Master Jaken would likely appreciate a floral crown.

She slowed herself to a stop, stooping down to carefully select her flowery arsenal. Once she had her selection, she sat down and began working on the crown. It was difficult at first; her claws constantly getting in the way. She also noticed that the strength in her fingers was much more than it used to be. Her poor flowers would tear and break so much more easily than they used to.

Rin needed to get more flowers. Her pile was entirely gone by the time she got the hang of working around her claws and strength, and the crown was only a quarter complete. Fortunately, given her hanyou abilities, gathering another set was not difficult. With a new pile and renewed determination, Rin set out to finish her flower crown, and to make it the best one Master Jaken had ever seen.

* * *

Sesshomaru was on the lookout. More youkai than usual were making attacks today. He didn't understand why it was happening; why so many weaklings believed that they had the strength to defeat him.

He was patrolling the woods around the meadow, an unusually beautiful one at that. It reminded him of the meadow where he had shared Kagura's last moments. He had never told it to anyone, and had only recently admitted it to himself, but he regretted Kagura's death. The woman had been strong. Strong enough to rebel against Naraku, despite her life being quite literally in that monster's hands. The Daiyoukai had wanted to know her better. But it was all in the past.

Another youkai drew Sesshomaru from his musings. It was an ogre, much larger than what he had been facing for most of the day. As far he could tell, it was the last youkai in the area. Sesshomaru decided to savor the kill.

The beast attacked with its inelegantly oversized club, swinging in a downward motion that would leave it wide open. Sesshomaru summoned his natural poison to his claws, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. As soon as the club hit the ground Sesshomaru had been standing on, the Daiyoukai had embedded his claws in the ogre's side. He quickly backed off, allowing the ogre to scream its pointless rage as his poison worked through its system. Sesshomaru would end it quickly if the beast was smart enough not to go for another attack.

Unfortunately for the ogre, it tried to smash Sesshomaru's head in one more time. Sesshomaru merely sliced its legs off with his poison whip, and left the creature to die in agony. As the screams of the ogre faded, another surprised and annoyed scream met his ears. With no one to watch, Sesshomaru let out a rare smirk at Jaken's misery.

* * *

"RIIIIINN!" Jaken yelled out. _I need to find her, now! Or Lord Sesshomaru will kill me for sure. I can't let_ anything _happen to her now, not when she's… the way she is._ Lord Sesshomaru always hit him extra hard if he mentioned Rin's current state of existence with the slightest hint of negativity. Trying to purge the idea from his thoughts was the best way to avoid being hit that hard again.

"RIN!" the imp called again, desperately glancing around the meadow. There was no trace of the silver-haired girl or her brightly colored kimono. Jaken wondered how she could hide so well when she stood out so much.

"Hello, Master Jaken." "GYAAAAAAH!"

Jaken jumped as Rin appeared behind him as if from nowhere. With an exasperated huff, he turned to face the troublesome girl. And immediately put any ideas of scolding her out his head upon beholding her expression. It was mischief. Pure. Unadulterated. Mischief. Her seemingly innocent smile held the promise of unpleasant things to come. _So much like my Lord,_ Jaken thought absently.

"Rin, what are you- ack!"

Before Jaken could even finish speaking, a floral crown had been dumped on his head. Unfortunately, it was too big for him, and it slid right down to his neck, making a lovely necklace. Jaken just gave a sigh of long suffering.

"Rin, I know I've told you this before, but I don't care for flowers," Jaken explained, looking up into Rin's eyes to be sure she was listening. To his surprise, she looked disappointed. "Erm, what's wrong?"

"You were very calm, Master Jaken," Rin explained. "Normally, you get all huffy. It's really funny."

"I do not get huffy!" Jaken huffed.

Rin giggled a little at the imp's display. Abruptly, though, the girl's mirth ended. Her face contorted into a deep frown, as if she was suddenly getting sick. Which made no sense. Hanyou or not, those with strong youkai blood did not get sick.

"Master Jaken," Rin moaned, "Rin feels funny."

She collapsed onto her knees holding her head.

"Rin!" Jaken cried in alarm, rushing over to the girl's side to ensure she didn't hurt herself in her bout of… whatever it was. "Stay right here. I'll get Lord Sesshomaru. Lord Sesshomaru!"

* * *

Sesshomaru was already moving when Rin collapsed. He reached her just as Jaken had finished calling out his name. He didn't bother asking Jaken what happened, he had seen it for himself. Rin's eyes were closed, and she continued to moan.

"Lord… Sesshomaru," she called. "Everything's… feeling… dim."

She didn't feel feverish to him. Her heart was still beating strong. He couldn't hear anything wrong in her lungs. So… what? What was causing this? Sesshomaru tried to recall everything he knew about hanyou. How their youkai blood mixed with their human blood. What they might inherit from their youkai parent. Their time of weakness.

That's when it hit him. Sesshomaru checked the sky. Sure enough, the sun was setting. And tonight was the new moon. That's what was going on. Rin shared InuYasha's time of weakness. For tonight, she would be fully human, like she used to be.

Sesshomaru gently drew the little girl into his arms, granting her what comfort he could while her first human night began. He could tell that the transformation was uncomfortable for her, but there was nothing he could do about it. Instead, he tracked the sun's progress as it continued to sink under the horizon. When it finally disappeared, it happened.

Sesshomaru felt a pulse of Rin's youki, and then it was gone. When he looked down at the girl, her hair was black, and her ears were round and at the sides of her head. It was as if she had never transformed at all.

"Are you all right, Rin?" he asked her.

She looked up at him, her eyes dark brown instead of the gold they had been for the past two weeks.

"Rin's head doesn't feel funny anymore," she answered. "But… she can't see very well. Or smell anything."

"This is your time of weakness," he told her. "You will be human for the rest of the night, and your powers will return to you in the morning. For now, you will remain by Jaken's side. Is this Sesshomaru clear?"

"Yes, my lord!" Rin stated enthusiastically.

Sesshomaru set her down on the ground. He then looked at Jaken, who had been standing at attention the entire time. Not for the first time, Sesshomaru was glad to have Jaken's loyalty, even if the imp could become irritating.

"Make camp," Sesshomaru ordered. "I will send Ah-Un to you shortly."

"Yes milord!" Jaken acknowledged, beginning to walk away. "Come this way, Rin. I found the perfect camping spot at the edge of the meadow."

"Can you tell me a story while we walk?" Rin asked him.

"I am not your personal storyteller, Rin! It's not my job to give you a tale every time you ask for one!"

"Even if it's a story about Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Well, when you put it that way…"

Sesshomaru stopped paying attention as they pulled away. Jaken would not doubt regale the little girl with a tale of one of Sesshomaru's many battles. The imp always embellished the details, and sometimes bored Rin out of her mind with said details, but Sesshomaru was glad that Jaken told the stories to her. Not that he would ever say so to Jaken, or anyone.

He made sure to keep the camp within earshot as he resumed his patrols. There was a long night ahead, and a little human girl would make an easy meal for an opportunistic youkai. Nothing would happen to Rin tonight. Not on Sesshomaru's watch.

* * *

The old kitsune was keeping his head down. That's what was best when there was a powerful Daiyoukai in the area. He had seen what had happened to that stupid ogre. He most certainly _did not_ want to end up like that. Especially when he didn't know who exactly this Daiyoukai was. The kitsune was certain that it was some kind of dog, but he would need to wait for his partner to return before he could know more.

There was a rustling in the bushes off to the kitsune's left. He just sighed at his partner's theatrics. No kitsune worth their tails would make their presence so blatantly obvious. He merely turned to the bushes and waited for his partner to appear. She took her sweet time.

With another sigh, the kitsune whispered, "You can come out not, Kimiko. I know you're there."

The much younger, and fairly attractive, kitsune silently appeared from the bushes she had been rustling.

"Uncle Kentaro, you know I like it when you chase me," she huffed.

"Tonight is no time for games. You know there's a Daiyoukai in the area."

Kimiko rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know. That's what you sent me back home to look into."

"Well?" Kentaro asked when she didn't elaborate.

"I'm getting there." She pulled a scroll from within her robes. "Based on the description you gave me, that is Sesshomaru, son of the Inu no Taisho."

"Definitely not someone to mess around with," Kentaro commented. He had heard some of the horror stories about the Inu no Taisho's cold son. He took the scroll and opened it. The description within matched what he had seen of the Daiyoukai. It was Sesshomaru.

"Maybe a year or two ago, yes," Kimiko stated. "But… now?"

"This had better not be headed where I think it's headed," Kentaro warned.

"Hear me out," Kimiko pleaded seriously. "Sesshomaru hasn't made a court appearance in over ten years. Rumor has it that he's been wandering the countryside, in search of something. During those travels, he picked up a human companion."

"Get to the point," Kentaro growled.

"Sesshomaru has a well-documented hatred for humans. The fact that he allows one into his company means that he has gone soft. If we could take that human from him… well… think about it. The Western Lands are not a small territory. There's some real power there."

"Your funeral," Kentaro stated. "I may have taught you to be ambitious, but there is such a thing as biting off more than you can chew. I won't stop whatever you're planning. But I want no part of it. And I would urge you not go through with it. Sesshomaru is not known to be merciful to those who displease him."

Kimiko just flashed an evil grin.

* * *

 **A/N: Truth be told, I wasn't planning on ending this on a cliffhanger. I just knew that I wanted to establish when Rin's human time would be, and have something happen on that night. What I didn't expect was to create antagonistic characters that would plan to do something. That happened spontaneously, and is going to be a nice segue into what I have planned for the future of this story. On another note, do I have any artistically minded readers? I would like to get a cover for my story, but have no talent for visual art. So, would any of you be interested in providing a cover? If you are, just PM me or let me know in a review, and we can work out the details then. As always, reviews are appreciated. Praise and criticism is accepted equally. See you all in the next update.**

 **P.S. To Turtle Donkey: I'm flattered that you think so highly of my work.**

 **P.P.S. Note that if you leave an unsigned guest review, I can't respond to it outside of the author's notes.**


	6. The Plot

Chapter 6: The Plot

Kimiko had to spend most of the night planning her attack and refining her best concealment spells. As a five-tail, she was certainly strong enough to create powerful concealment charms. However, her enemy was a dog, and a Daiyoukai at that. A single flaw in her work would lead to her being found out and most likely dying. She would also have to be careful once she cast the charms, as the drain on her youki would be immense. Her window of opportunity would be very small.

She smiled as she examined the leaf that contained her first concealment charm. The spell on it was relatively simple, the problem was making it powerful enough to conceal her from an inu-Daiyoukai's nose. She checked her map once again, re-measuring the distances she would need to travel while her charms were active. She then checked her second charm one last time.

It was only an hour before sunrise when Kimiko heard Kentaro return to the house. She sighed and prepared herself to deal with the old man's badgering one last time.

"Trying to talk me out of it, Uncle?" she called, trying to beat the old fox to the punch.

"I told you, I would do no such thing," her uncle replied tiredly. "Just try to come back in one piece."

Kimiko only gave him a confident smirk. "I'll come back, Uncle. I swear. And I'll bring with me the glory that our family once had."

"Your life is more important to me than any glory," Kentaro stated solomly.

"'Ambition is the way to get ahead in life'," she quoted at him. "I'm following my ambitions."

She gathered her charms and headed for the door. Once she was outside, she drew her first charm from the pouch at her hip. Channeling her youki to power the spell, she stuck the leaf to her forehead, activating the spell. With a brief 'poof,' the spell took effect. All traces of Kimiko's presence completely disappeared.

* * *

Jaken released a cavernous yawn as dawn approached. Lord Sesshomaru had ordered the poor imp to stand guard all night. Jaken completely understood why. Rin had temporarily returned to human form, and, with everything that had happened lately, the Daiyoukai was not going to take any chances with the safety of his ward. Jaken understood all of that but it did nothing to lessen his misery, or his exhaustion. And did they _have_ to fall asleep in a meadow that was so sickeningly full of flowers?

Jaken jumped when he realized that his wandering thoughts had shaken his concentration on what he should have been doing. He refocused on his surroundings, taking special care to keep an eye on the dark forest not fifty paces from where they slept. His youkai eyes may not have had much trouble seeing in the moonless night, but the darkness of the forest was another matter entirely. Satisfied that nothing was amiss there, he scanned the meadow again.

A flash of motion caught his eye. A light breeze had been stirring the flowers, but something about that particular movement seemed… off. Jaken gripped the Staff of Two Heads a little tighter as he slid off of Ah-Un's saddle to investigate. He scrutinized the area, but couldn't detect any hint of anything. After nearly a minute, the paranoid imp just assumed that it was his imagination and decided to head back towards Ah-Un. Before he could turn, he felt a sharp hit on the back of his head.

* * *

The imp had been incredibly easy to knock out. The charm had made sure of that. Kimiko steadied herself as she approached the girl. Once she activated her second charm, she would have to run quickly. The kitsune woman looked down on the girl, seeing for the first time the human that had so enthralled the great Lord Sesshomaru. The young child certainly had a fair face, but that was it. There was nothing else remarkable about her. Kimiko simply couldn't fathom why a Daiyoukai of such standing would bother with the company of such filth.

She withdrew the second charm from her pouch and placed it on the child's forehead. She could feel her power rush out of her as the drain on her youki increased dramatically. Her remaining time suddenly shortened from a few hours to maybe half of one. And she still had one more charm to place before her victory was assured. She quickly scooped the girl into her arms and bolted for the woods. Once Sesshomaru noticed the disappearance of the child's scent, he would no doubt come running. _Quickly._

Kimiko began to pant as the physical and arcane strains caught up to her body. She cursed her weakness, knowing that the perspiration would only make her easier to track when the concealment spell wore off. But, the forest was close now. All she needed to do was get far enough in to buy the time she needed to activate her third spell.

The trees weren't hard to navigate. Dawn was fast approaching, and the brightening sky illuminated Kimiko's course. There was a very specific hovel she was looking for. One that would be difficult to locate even with a scent trail.

After only a few more minutes, she reached it. It was a small hill, a bump really, in the forest floor. Near it was a fallen, rotting tree. Concealed in the roots was the entrance. Kimiko quickly swept inside and deactivated both of the charms she was using. Her remaining time was now limited.

* * *

Sesshomaru watched the sky with a sense of what could be called relief. Dawn was fast approaching, and with it, Rin's hanyou powers. Though, she only had the barest idea of how to use them. He was happy with the progress she had made in mastering her senses. She could now act in her usual, carefree fashion and be mostly unbothered by her enhanced perception. Next, Sesshomaru would have to teach her how to tap into her youki.

He could already feel that her youki was immensely strong for a hanyou. The raw potential almost astounded him. She had the potential to at least become as strong as InuYasha, maybe even stronger. No, definitely stronger, given who would be training her. However, Sesshomaru wasn't sure what to think of the possibility of Rin becoming a powerful combatant. He took great pride in his ability to protect her. At the same time, though, he would sleep easier if he knew she could protect herself.

Abruptly, Rin's scent vanished. Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks, nose working furiously to reacquire the scent of his ward. When he was unable to after a few seconds, he took flight, racing towards the camp. When he arrived, his fears were confirmed.

Jaken was unconscious on the ground, an angry bump forming on his head. Clearly the imp had been knocked out. At least he wasn't sleeping on the job. Sesshomaru was still going to hit him later for this, though. What concerned him more was that Rin was nowhere to be seen. Her scent had completely vanished, as if she were never there to begin with. The Daiyoukai began speeding around the meadow, searching desperately (though he'd never admit to that) for his ward. After a minute, he had still discovered nothing. He began widening his search area, scanning the forest for any trace of the little girl.

After what felt like an age, but was really only a few minutes, her scent practically smacked him in the face. Not only was Rin's scent there, but another that made his blood boil. Kitsune. Those damned foxes had dared to take what belonged to him. Lord Sesshomaru. _They will pay with blood!_ Sesshomaru swore to himself, his eyes flashing red as his true form threatened to slip out. With the inhuman speed that he was known for, he followed the scent into a deep part of the woods, summoning ludicrous amounts of poison to his claws the entire time.

Finally, he tracked the scent to a small hill. There was a fallen tree not far from the hill, and the scent of Rin and that suicidal fox practically emanated from the entire place. It took Sesshomaru a moment to pinpoint that the scent was coming from a small area near the roots of the tree. Summoning his poison whip, he prepared to end the kitsune's life.

"Consider your actions carefully, _Lord_ Sesshomaru," a female voice called disdainfully from the hovel. "If anything happens to me, your human pet dies."

* * *

Her challenge issued, Kimiko stepped out of the hovel, carrying the human in her arms. She was confident that Sesshomaru wouldn't move if the girl was in any sort of danger. As long her last charm did its job, and she was confident it would, Sesshomaru simply couldn't kill her.

When she beheld him, she almost reconsidered her actions. The fury was radiating off of him in _waves._ She could feel the rage as if it were the rays of the sun. His eyes were absolutely terrifying, the sclera flashing red in time with the beat of his heart, his golden irises flashing blue with the same beat. The stripes on the sides of his face had already distorted into their more jagged shapes, and his fangs were coming out of his mouth. The Daiyoukai exuded terror, and Kimiko felt herself trembling a little.

"Let her go, NOW, and your death will be painless," the Daiyoukai ordered.

"On certain conditions," Kimiko countered, proud that she was able to keep her voice steady. "And don't think of killing me. I've placed a spell on her that will link her heartbeat with mine until I remove it." _Or my youki runs out,_ she added mentally. _But there's no need to tell him that._

"What do you want!?" Sesshomaru spat out.

Good, he wasn't trying to kill her right away. That meant that he really cared for the girl in Kimiko's arms. Her confidence rising, Kimiko decided to issue her demands.

* * *

"You are a Daiyoukai of great inheritance," the brazen kitsune began. "Years ago, your father stole vast portions of my family's land and power. I demand to see it returned. As well as the wealth that has been made from that land."

Sesshomaru saw red. This fox _dared_ to make demands of him as recompense for the actions of his father?

"I swear woman, you will not see the end of this day," he growled out at her.

"Wrong answer," the fox replied. Sesshomaru could only watch in horror as the woman bared her claws at his little girl.

Thinking fast, he yelled, "Your death will be long and PAINFUL if you leave so much as a scratch on Rin!"

That gave the fox pause. The fear that had been in her eyes at the start of the confrontation returned. He could see that he was getting through. Sesshomaru decided to add a little more incentive for her to see things his way.

"You will be thrown into a dungeon. Starved. Beaten. You live the rest of your days with my poison coursing through your veins. Every moment will be AGONY. And that is just what I will do to you. I cannot predict the horrors that my men may visit upon you."

The woman was trembling in fear by this point. Sesshomaru knew that she was taking his promise very, very seriously. What he had promised her was absolutely despicable, but he knew that if Rin were to die on this day, he would _absolutely_ go through with it.

* * *

Kimiko's stomach was frozen in sheer terror. She thought that by having the girl in her hands, she had all the cards. But, Sesshomaru had promised her a fate worse than death if the girl died. She had read the accounts. Heard the legends. He had done equally terrible things to his enemies in the past. Though there were no recent accounts of the Daiyoukai committing such atrocities, the fire in his eyes convinced her that he would make an exception in this case.

With trembling hands, Kimiko removed the charm binding Rin's life to hers. She carefully set the little girl on the ground and then backed off. When there was enough room, she bowed as low as she possibly could.

"I leave myself at your mercy, Lord Sesshomaru," Kimiko declared quietly, though she knew he had heard her. _This is it. I'm going to die. I'm sorry, Uncle. You were right._

A minute later, Kimiko was still breathing. This realization came as a shock, and she dared to look up. Both Sesshomaru and the girl were gone. Kimiko was alone in the forest. Tears slipped down the fox's face, and now, more than any other time in her life, she was thankful to be alive.

It was a long time before Kimiko was able to collect herself enough to stand and begin the trek home. Her relief was palpable, and she practically skipped on her way home. The sheer, bone rattling terror was still in the back of her mind, and it would probably haunt her nightmares for the rest of her life, but she was still glad to be alive. She was glad that she could return to her uncle. Clearly, she still had a great deal to learn from him.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow, another ending where the creative process surprised me. I had planned for this chapter to have a completely different ending, but it seemed that the chapter had other ideas in mind for me. I mean, for one, Kimiko was supposed to die. I was going to have Sesshomaru kill her. We saw in the last chapter that he's certainly capable of it, and his anger was certainly strong enough for him to go down that course. I decided to spare her ultimately because she hadn't done any real harm in the long run. Anyway, my request for a cover from the last chapter is still open. No one's responded yet. Not really surprising, given the current size of my audience. I'll leave the request open for as long as I need to. See you all next chapter.**


	7. Youki

Chapter 7: Youki

Rin awoke with the dawn, feeling her powers return to her. Unlike the last transformation, which was drawn out and painful, turning back into a hanyou was quick and relieving. Her vision cleared, her ears felt like they were unclogging, and her nose returned to what she now felt that it should be. It had only been a week since she started getting them under control, but she was already strongly attached to her senses, even if they still gave her trouble now and then.

It took a moment, but Rin noticed that she was in Lord Sesshomaru's arms as he sat near Ah-Un, golden eyes carefully locked on the forest near the meadow. She didn't understand how she got there, or why Sesshomaru seemed to be on high alert. She liked waking up in Sesshomaru's arms, but he rarely held her while she was sleeping, even after the transformation two weeks ago.

"You are awake."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," she replied instantly. "Rin feels funny. Did something happen last night?"

"A kitsune attempted to kidnap you. This Sesshomaru did not allow it."

So, he rescued her again, this time without her ever knowing she was in danger. Rin just gave her Lord the cheeriest smile she could, trying to thank him with the simple expression. He gently set her on the ground, eyes trained on the horizon.

"We will run until the afternoon," Sesshomaru declared.

Rin immediately tensed the muscles in her legs, waiting for her Lord to begin the run. He did not waste any time. The run began at a fairly sedate pace for those with youkai abilities, and Rin found that she wanted to go even faster. She didn't voice it, but, maybe…

With little effort, Rin put on a burst of speed, hoping Sesshomaru would indulge her and speed up as well. To her disappointment, he did not. He glanced in her direction, and that was all it took. Rin didn't try to speed up again, but decided to enjoy the run for what it was worth. It may not have been fast, but the exercise was good.

* * *

True to his word, Sesshomaru continued the run until just after noon. He called their group to a halt, ordering Rin off to go find some water. Ah-Un and Jaken were sent with the little hanyou, giving Sesshomaru a moment of peace to put his plans together.

Youki was an incredibly integral part of a youkai's existence, and, therefore, was taught to the young as soon as they were old enough to understand it. It was the source of their power, what separated them from humans. Sure they had reiki, but, though very powerful, reiki wasn't nearly as versatile as youki could be. Kitsune magic was greatly feared by humans and youkai alike for very good reason.

It was past time for Rin to learn about the power that ran through her veins. More importantly, it was time for her to harness that youki, and unleash her latent abilities. InuYasha had abilities like the Sankon Tesso and the Hijin Kesso at his disposal thanks to youki, and it was youki that powered the Tetsusaiga. Sesshomaru was greatly curious as to what abilities Rin's youki would grant her.

"We're back!" the girl's cheery voice announced.

She was leading Ah-Un by the reins back to the small clearing that they'd stopped in. Jaken was trailing behind her, grumbling about something or other, but otherwise holding his peace. Sesshomaru stood, striding elegantly to meet his small pack.

"Rin," he began, "this Sesshomaru will train you in the use of youki."

"Youki? Isn't that where your powers come from?" she asked innocently.

"Indeed. Follow."

Sesshomaru began walking away from the clearing, heading to a section of forest that he knew to be spacious enough to suit his needs. He could hear Rin's upbeat stride following after. She smelled of excitement, but mostly just sang her songs to herself, waiting for Sesshomaru to begin the lesson.

After a short distance, the trees thinned out enough that Sesshomaru felt confident in beginning the lesson. He stopped short and turned to face his ward. She looked up at him, her bright eyes shining with excitement. Sesshomaru allowed himself a soft, imperceptible smile at the sight, then focused on the task at hand.

* * *

"Youki is the fundamental base of a youkai's power," Sesshomaru began to lecture. "It is the source of our great strength, our speed, and our abilities. We use it unconsciously to be more than any human could be. However, it is when we use it consciously that we unleash our true power."

"Does Rin have youki like Lord Sesshomaru?" she questioned curiously.

"Did this Sesshomaru not say that he would train you in its use?" He gave her stern look. "Let us begin."

Rin paid her Lord rapt attention, eager to learn. She had seen the crazy and fantastic things that youkai were capable of. The idea that she would also be able to do some of those things excited her.

"The first step in utilizing youki is to become aware of it within yourself."

"How do I do that?" Rin asked him, confused.

"It is like using your senses, or muscles. You must find it within yourself, feel it. Feel it flow throughout your body," the Daiyoukai calmly explained.

Rin did as she was told, closing her eyes to help her concentration. She immediately became aware of what her body was telling her with her other senses. She could smell the various, earthy scents of the forest. She could feel the gentle breeze flowing through the trees. Within herself, she was aware of the many parts of her body. She could feel her heart as it beat in her chest. Her lungs expanded and collapsed as they took in air. Her muscles were constantly changing to balance her weight. Through it all, she could sense something else, something on the periphery. Whenever she grasped at it with her mind, it slipped away, denying her efforts.

"Rin… feels… something," she said with great effort. "But it won't respond to her."

"Feel it, do not force it," Sesshomaru corrected.

Continuing to keep her eyes closed, Rin tried again. She could feel the energy inside her, enhancing everything within her. But, every time she tried to get a hold of it, to make it come forth, it retreated. It was frustrating her to no end; a simple dance of irritation that kept cycling. 'Feel it,' Sesshomaru had said. Rin tried her best to relax and follow his words, simply stopping and trying to feel the energy in her, rather than control it.

For a very long time, nothing happened. She could feel the energy inside of her, the youki flowing throughout her body, but nothing else. The energy moved through her like her blood, but seemed almost unwilling to heed her call. After a great deal of time had passed, something changed. The energy flooded her, almost bursting out.

"Now, Rin," Sesshomaru coached. "Call on your power. Unleash it."

Rin tried taking control again. This time, though, the power responded positively, nearly overwhelming her. Following her instincts, she drew back her hand, curling her fingers to get maximum use of her claws. She could feel the youki flooding into her claws, begging to be released. A name flashed into her brain.

"Dokuso!" she shouted, swinging her claws forward. A green arc shot from her claws, traveling a short distance before disappearing into smoke.

"I did it!" she exclaimed.

"You have connected with your youki," Sesshomaru told her. "You will practice that move."

Rin did as she was told. Summoning her youki a second time was much easier. Since she had called it forth, it now seemed more willing to be commanded by her. It still wasn't _easy_ , though. It took Rin a great deal of effort to summon the necessary youki to perform the move. Once she felt it was ready, she unleashed the Dokuso again.

This time, the wave hit a tree. Rin saw first-hand why the attack was called what it was. The bark was gouged along the impact line, and smoking. The energy attack she had unleashed was poisonous, very similar to the poison in Sesshomaru's claws. Suddenly, she felt sick.

* * *

"What is wrong?" Sesshomaru asked his ward upon seeing her sink to her knees.

"My Dokuso," she stated. "It's meant to hurt. Rin doesn't want to hurt anyone."

"Irrelevant. If you are attacked, you must fight." Sesshomaru considered his next words very carefully. He knew that she looked up to him, and viewed him as invincible. But… "There may come a time when this Sesshomaru is not there. Bad things will happen to you if you choose not to fight. Now, practice."

The girl stood, and focused on charging her youki again. Sesshomaru idly wondered if it had ever taken him that long to charge a youki attack. It had been so many centuries since he was a pup. He could barely remember that time in his life.

An impact of Rin's Dokuso roused him from his musings. Sesshomaru was pleased to note that Rin was improving, if only slightly. He reached out with his senses, feeling for her youki. It felt chaotic, as if it no longer wanted to be used. Sesshomaru couldn't say he was surprised. Violence wasn't in Rin's nature. Eventually, though, she would see that violence was a necessary evil in a cruel world. He just hoped he could teach her that before she learned it the hard way.

After a few more swings with her newfound ability, Rin collapsed. Sesshomaru was instantly by her side, catching her before she could fall to the ground. She was covered in sweat and breathing hard. Sesshomaru reached out his senses once again, feeling for her youki. It was so heavily diminished that Sesshomaru was surprised that he had felt such potential from it only hours earlier. Clearly, he would have to do more coaching in order for her to use her attacks without draining so much energy.

"Rin is tired," the girl mumbled.

"Return to camp and rest," he ordered, setting her on her feet. "I will train you more tomorrow."

"Yes, my Lord," she acknowledged tiredly, trudging off into the woods.

 _Am I wrong?_ he idly wondered. The thought itself was almost an anathema to his self-confident nature. But, for Rin's sake, he allowed himself to consider it. The girl wasn't violent, or a fighter. She was peaceful, and showed great empathy for those around her. He wasn't blind to that. He personally believed that Rin's kind-hearted nature had helped to soften Kagura a bit, as well as himself if he were being truly honest.

He would have to be more careful in the future. True to his earlier conclusions, teaching her to defend herself in this day and age was a necessary task. Sesshomaru liked to think he had a realistic measure of his abilities, and knew that he wouldn't be able to protect her forever. There were many times when she had been human that he'd almost failed in that task.

With those thoughts still churning in his head, he decided that it was time for another hunt. He could begin to deal with these internal thoughts later, during their next training session, most likely. In the meantime, he would find good game, and hunt it. While he was at it, he could also clear any belligerent youkai out of the area. After all, leaving those kinds of mindless creature about was asking for trouble.

* * *

When Rin returned to the camp, she wasn't surprised to note that Jaken was lighting a fire with his staff. She may have liked to tease Jaken a lot, but she genuinely enjoyed the imp's presence. He was reliable when it really counted, and having the ability to light a fire anywhere had kept her from freezing on many nights.

She spared him a small wave as she collapsed onto the ground next to Ah-Un, completely drained. She'd run herself ragged before, expending all of her energy by simply running around, but this was a completely new sensation. It felt like she had expended her very essence, and all that was left was a tired void. Granted, it was one that she could feel slowly refilling, but it still left her exhausted.

 _And Lord Sesshomaru wants Rin to do it again tomorrow,_ she thought with a shudder. After she discovered the move's destructive purpose, something inside her had felt wrong, and the feeling didn't go away until she had collapsed.

It was to such unpleasant thoughts that the girl finally drifted off.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, this is embarrassing. No this story's not dead, at least, I hope it isn't. I went through a spurt of lost motivation, and sat on this chapter for the last several months. It was half-complete all that time ago, and I just never got around to finishing it. Normally, I wouldn't apologize for this sort of thing, but I assured several of you of a much sooner release date, and didn't follow through. For that, I apologize. With luck, this won't happen to the next chapter. Be sure to leave a review.**


	8. Responsibility

Chapter 8: Responsibility

Rin's dreams were the most disturbing she'd had since her family died. Rapid, pulsating visions of her poisonous, bloody claws flashed in front of her, and as she tried to scream in frustration, agony, and fear, all that came out was a disturbing laugh. The sound, normally so filled with joy, sent Rin's skin crawling with a cold fear.

It was a minor miracle that she didn't wake up screaming. Instead, she just sat where she was, getting her breathing under control, and trying so very hard to get the horrific images out of her head. She hugged herself, shuddering, before finally opening her senses to the surrounding area.

The hour was still pre-dawn. She could see the eastern sky beginning to lighten with the coming of the sun. There was a bit of chill, and the grass was covered in half-frozen dew. Were she in a field, she had no doubt that there would have been a bit of gray fog just barely covering the grass. The sky was cloudless, and the day looked to be good.

She stood up and began stretching, working muscles that she felt should have been tired. It was to her surprise that the bone-tired feeling she'd had the previous day was completely gone. There wasn't even the slightest hint of soreness as she worked her arms in circles. It was a pleasant feeling. She had to wonder how much of it was due to the youki that had been coursing through her veins. Being hanyou certainly had its perks.

Rin noted that Sesshomaru was not in the clearing, but that wasn't very surprising. She rarely, if ever, saw him sleep, and she knew he liked to patrol the area around their campsite as often as possible in the later hours. Jaken had told her many times that the night was incredibly dangerous, and it was one of few areas where she wholeheartedly believed him.

* * *

The night had been quiet. Quietness was increasingly common, and Sesshomaru was okay with that. While he hadn't acted in the capacity of a Lord in quite some time, it didn't change the authority that came with his blood. It was an authority that made other youkai fear him on an instinctual level. His own fearsome reputation was often enough to stave off the ones who would otherwise have been dumb enough to ignore their instincts. The only ones he ever fought were those who were truly brainless or those that represented a legitimate challenge. Or InuYasha.

The youkai Lord was headed back to camp when his nose picked up on scent he hadn't encountered in over a decade. He stood shock still in the forest, carefully scenting the air to confirm his suspicions. There was no denying it. He started moving, his nose working overtime to place the location of the scent. Within seconds, he was heading west, away from his ward's camp, hoping to intercept the newcomers before they came within scent range of the camp.

He was entering a wide plain by the time he intercepted the scent. His sharp eyes immediately picked out the dark, smooth-haired head of his chief advisor, Atsushi. The youkai was wearing far simpler robes than Sesshomaru, and of a darker color. His hair was nearly as long as Sesshomaru's, and tied into a very simple ponytail. His narrow eyes were a very dark brown. If not for the clearly elfin ears, he could pass as human.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" the main called, his voice a deep baritone.

Sesshomaru ceased moving as Atsushi approached. When the man was within a respectful distance, he dropped into a full bow, and Sesshomaru acknowledged it with a slight tilt of his head, the closest he would ever come to bowing to anyone.

"Atsushi," Sesshomaru replied. "Why have you sought this Sesshomaru out?"

"Both the court and the Council of Elders seek your immediate return," Atsushi explained, keeping his head bowed as he delivered the news.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed sharply. "The agreement was that this Sesshomaru would have five decades to roam the land as he sees fit." He had been counting on using that time to find a good way to explain Rin.

"Five decades is not as long as it used to be, milord," Atsushi countered, finally standing. "Much has happened in your absence this past decade."

"Go on," Sesshomaru ordered coldly, his tone indicating that Atsushi was on thin ice.

"Some of our old enemies have begun banding together. The panthers, for instance-"

"This Sesshomaru took care of them personally."

"Of course," Atsushi quickly amended. "The account of your deeds in that conflict reached our ears some time ago. This… this is a different sect, one that's been building a power base separate from their long dead leader. And they aren't the only ones in this alliance. Many belligerent kitsune, a veritable army of lesser scum, and even the monkeys, whose magic is said to rival the kitsune, have joined."

"Even against such an alliance, the army this Sesshomaru left behind should be more than adequate."

Atsushi lowered his head in shame. "Yes," the youkai muttered. "But, the court has become divided, and the Council of Elders shows signs of fracturing as well. I fear that there may soon be a move to usurp your power, if there isn't one already."

There it was, the real reason he was being recalled. Only ten years had passed, a veritable blink of an eye in a youkai's lifespan, and the power-hungry mongrels were already clawing for his position. He had expected it, of course, but to have them move so quickly was both infuriating and insulting. Normally, he would have begun his return journey immediately, ready to knock some heads and probably spill a little blood.

But there was Rin to consider. The court and Council would both assume that she was his blood, born from his union with a human woman. He knew the truth, but he no longer had any proof. It was one thing to take on a human ward, most would see her as a pet. To sire a hanyou, even if he hadn't actually sired her, was a grave loss of position in the courts. Sesshomaru would know, he had to clean up the mess that was left by his father after InuYasha's birth.

"This Sesshomaru will return in one month's time," he said at last.

Atsushi swallowed hard, clearly dreading his next words.

"The Council, and the court especially, insisted on you _immediate_ return, and warned that delays would not be accepted or tolerated." The youkai's eyes never left the ground as he delivered the ultimatum.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, hand drifting to his sword. After a second's debate, he drew it. He noted the small spike of fear in Atsushi's scent as the ringing of the blade leaving the scabbard reached his ears.

"Watch," the Daiyoukai ordered.

He could feel Bakusaiga's youki resonating with his own, building a blast of power the likes of which Sesshomaru hadn't needed since his demonstration against Byakuya's army. The blade crackled with green energy, the excess sparking off in green lightning. Sesshomaru faced the largest swath of the plain and swung.

Energy radiated out in a fan-shaped wave, dissolving the grasses completely and kicking a massive amount of dirt, carrying it far as the wave's power slowly died over the distance. When it finally died, the plain was unrecognizable. Most of it was simply churned dirt. The now-unearthed bits of ancient human armor and weapons confirmed that the plain had been a battlefield at one point. The grass in the areas around the main blast zone had gone gray and died. Sesshomaru expected that it would be several years before the field returned to the way it was when he had found.

"This Sesshomaru trusts that the Council will understand any delays on his part," Sesshomaru stated.

Atsushi nodded mutely, mouth agape at the display of raw power. After collecting his wits, Atsushi left the Daiyoukai alone, likely to deliver Sesshomaru's message. Sesshomaru remained in the plain, silently venting his anger. Per usual, his face didn't show it, but he was absolutely livid. One hundred years building his power base, and those filthy upstarts plan to usurp it after only ten? Did they forget what he was like when he was cleaning up his father's mess? Did they forget the terrors that were to be found in his dungeons? Or his silent, destructive wrath? Oh yes, this situation would be dealt with swiftly. But, first, he had to see to the safety of Rin.

* * *

Rin was starting to get hungry by the time her Lord returned to camp. Something seemed off about him. His face didn't show anything, but her instincts were screaming at her to stay out of his way. So, despite the growling in her stomach, she remained silent as Sesshomaru set about rousing Ah-Un and Jaken. The dragon awoke easily enough, Sesshomaru's presence was usually enough to do it. Jaken though…

Thunk.

The imp jumped up, sputtering nonsense as a bump rapidly formed where the rock had impacted his forehead. He very quickly shut himself up, though, able to read his Lord's sour mood. Sesshomaru began walking as soon as they were ready to leave. His ward, his servant, and his dragon all followed diligently, maintaining the silence until Sesshomaru's mood calmed down.

Then Rin's stomach growled audibly. Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks, and Rin's cheeks reddened, her stomach repeating its insistent noise. Rin felt increasingly self-conscious as the awkward silence stretched on. At last, Sesshomaru left them, leaving only a brief order to stay put.

"You've done it now, you silly girl," Jaken began chastising. "Lord Sesshomaru is finally going to properly discipline you for you ceaseless shenanigans."

"Jaken," Rin began, "Rin is a hanyou, and Sesshomaru kept her. It's embarrassing, but he won't get rid of Rin because her tummy rumbled."

The imp opened his mouth to respond, but closed it, unable to argue with Rin's point. Before the silence had time to become awkward, Sesshomaru returned, carrying the corpse of a dead deer. He walked right through the middle of the group, clawing off a strip of meant and tossing it to Rin as he passed. She held up the bloody meat, inspecting it, daring the revulsion she would have had as a human show its face. Nothing. Her stomach and inuhanyou instincts were screaming at her to eat it. She did so rapidly.

* * *

After the meal, Sesshomaru pushed Rin hard. He adjusted his direction so that they'd be heading back to InuYasha's village. He couldn't risk having Rin discovered by the court, and, given the long-standing conflict between the brothers, he figured that the village would be the last place anyone would look for anything precious to him.

Rin kept up easily, despite having to stop to eat several more times. She had even hunted the last meal herself, though she had been sick at having to do so. Sesshomaru was certain that her hunter's instincts were the only things that had kept her from losing her previous meal as she made the kill.

Truth be told, Sesshomaru was becoming concerned for Rin. His particular clan of inuyoukai were natural born hunters, relishing in the thrill of a good hunt. Those instincts were honed and refined with each generation, turning them into some of the greatest warriors of the land. All of it flew in the face of Rin's gentle personality.

The previous night had been one of the most difficult for Sesshomaru to bear. Hearing her toss, turn and moan in her sleep as her nightmares plagued her hurt him in ways that he didn't even know he could be hurt. His desire to protect her had risen, but had nowhere to go because he couldn't protect her from her own mind. It didn't help that he never had nightmares in his life. They weren't particularly common among youkai, though they did happen. It was another thing that he was hoping that leaving her in InuYasha's village would help with.

As the sun began to set, Sesshomaru took mental stock of their progress. The increased pace had paid off, and they were now only a few day's travel from InuYasha's home. He'd leave Rin there, deal with the court in no uncertain terms, return for her, and then continue his wanderings.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay, I got another chapter done in a reasonable amount of time. I should pat myself on the back. Anyway, I was always planning on introducing the whole "court" subplot, I just wasn't planning on introducing it this early. But, there's another major thing I have planned, and the side effects of this court subplot will push things in that direction very soon. On a side note, the request for a piece of cover art from way back when is still open, if anyone wants to show off. I swear to give credit in the story description for any artist willing to help me. PM me or let me know in a review if you're interested. See you all next chapter (hopefully soon).**


	9. Hanyou Blood

Chapter 9: Hanyou Blood

Their progress was good. Sesshomaru had run his group hard, and they were now only a day or so away from InuYasha's village. The Daiyoukai had yet to inform his pack of their destination, but he would do so soon. The only reason he hadn't was because he was only allowing them to stop in order to sleep. Everything else, with the sole exception of private business, was done on the move.

InuYasha's scent popped up here and there as they moved. Sesshomaru knew that the hanyou frequently patrolled the lands surrounding the village, keeping them safe and generally youkai-free. There was no doubt in the Daiyoukai's mind that if InuYasha hadn't already discovered Sesshomaru's approach, he soon would.

The forests had become more of a constant entity, still being fairly thick in the area around InuYasha's home. Before, there would be meadows, clearings, stretches of plains, even mountains in the distance. Now, it was forest as far as even his enhanced eyes could see. Of course, vision was limited with the large number of obstructions.

He could hear Rin struggling to keep up. She had been making excellent progress in her physical exercise, but she was still nowhere near even InuYasha's level when it came to stamina. Still, he allowed a brief feeling of pride settle in as he thought of what she had accomplished. To have such a change forced into her life, and to continue to adapt and not lose who she was, was impressive.

Sesshomaru leapt, releasing his youki and allowing it to carry him above the canopy of trees. The sun was already setting, the lower rim already touching the horizon. He didn't have much more time today. He could push his pack through a few hours of the night, but he would have to stop to let them sleep. Fortunately, since becoming hanyou, Rin was a much earlier riser, and they could spend more of the day traveling.

Those thoughts in mind, Sesshomaru returned to the ground, determined to make as much progress as he could in the few hours he had left.

* * *

Katashi flew far above the forest, his youki expending at a rapid rate. The monkey youkai had only recently mastered the flight technique, which was still frustratingly new and unrefined. In addition, he was also using another youki spell to track Sesshomaru from outside the range of the Daiyoukai's senses. The task was difficult and exhausting, and the trail was easy to lose if attention wavered.

Fortunately for Katashi, a replacement would soon relieve him. At least, it would be like that if they kept to the schedule. Their unit had been attempting to find Sesshomaru for the better part of a month now. Their search… had been less than fruitful, until two days before. That was when they had discovered the plain that had been scarred by Sesshomaru's power. They had no idea how he'd acquired such monstrous strength, but it had allowed their trackers to locate him, and they'd been working on catching up to him since then. Now that they finally had, it was only a matter of waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

* * *

The moon had been in the sky for two hours when Lord Sesshomaru finally called a stop. Rin was so exhausted by this point that she barely acknowledged the order, collapsing onto the ground as soon as she was able to. Her breathing was ragged and heavy, and her limbs felt like they were filled with metal instead of flesh. She couldn't understand why her Lord was suddenly pushing her so hard. He hadn't said anything about it. On the bright side, he hadn't forced her to train with her youki, either, so there was something to be grateful for.

Rin lifted her head ever so slightly as Jaken climbed down from Ah-Un's back. The old imp was stretching, his back cracking loudly as he did so. The imp then began to work the stiffness out of his limbs. The complaints he muttered under his breaths were particularly amusing, considering that he thought no one could hear him.

The little hanyou absently noticed that Lord Sesshomaru was no longer in the clearing. It wasn't that big a deal, though, as he usually left when they stopped, so that he could hunt. Rin didn't mind too much, as always brought something back for her to eat.

Through an opening between the branches, Rin could see the stars. The moon remained concealed by the trees, but that was alright. Rin only needed to see the stars to occupy her time. She tiredly admired their beauty, humming a simple tune to herself. She nearly drifted off several times, but forced herself to stay awake, knowing that Lord Sesshomaru would soon return with dinner.

As she thought, it was only a few more minutes after her last nod-off that Lord Sesshomaru returned to the clearing, a strip of fresh meat in his hands. Tiredly, Rin pulled herself to her feet, walking slowly over to her Lord.

"Thank you, my Lord," Rin muttered.

"Hn," the usual response.

Rin ate the meat with as much gusto as she could manage in her exhausted state, and then walked over to where Ah-Un had settled. She curled up to the dragon, and quickly drifted to sleep, her dreams pleasant.

* * *

Sesshomaru decided to forgo sleep altogether that night. He hadn't scented anything strange as he continued closer to InuYasha's territory, but he had a gut feeling that something was off. Over his many years as a prince and, later, Lord, Sesshomaru had learned to trust his instincts about things like this. When it came to warning him of danger, they were rarely long.

He kept a vigilant eye over his camp. Jaken was snoring the night away on Ah-Un's back, and Rin was curled up peacefully next to the dragon's stomach. The dragon was breathing deeply as it slept, but Sesshomaru knew that it would instantly waken should the need arise. He directed his gaze to the sky, scanning the stars for any possible airborne threat.

Nothing.

It should have put his mind at ease, knowing that there was nothing that could threaten his group, but it didn't. The gut feeling continued to grow worse as the night wore one, and Sesshomaru never once relaxed. If anything, he became increasingly on edge as the night wore on. And then, an hour after midnight, he saw something. It was extremely brief, but one of the stars was blocked from his vision.

The Daiyoukai stood, drawing his sword. His senses were still telling him that his group was safe, but his instincts were screaming, "DANGER!" into his mind. He began to patrol the area immediately surrounding the camp. He made sure that he always remained close enough to be back at the camp in a matter of seconds, should something happen.

* * *

Katashi stewed in frustration. Their plan wasn't as effective as they'd been anticipating. With them, they carried a human object imbued with immense reiki energy. There was enough there to cause the sixth sense of every youkai within miles to bristle. They knew that it was working because Sesshomaru had begun a patrol of the area around his camp. Unfortunately, the Daiyoukai never strayed far enough away from the camp for them to begin their attack.

The monkey youkai shuddered as he felt another pulse from the human object. It was getting under his skin, and the unit was becoming antsy. Another monkey youkai was in the skies, keeping tabs on Sesshomaru. Lying in wait with Katashi were several more monkey youkai, a few panther youkai, and a fairly powerful five-tailed kitsune.

All they needed was a single opportunity. First they would eliminate the Daiyoukai's followers. The hanyou was of particular interest, as it seemed to be the offspring of Sesshomaru himself. Katashi grinned a little at the thought. Even if their plan failed, that little bit of information would be enough to send the Daiyoukai's life into chaos. After the followers were eliminated, Sesshomaru would become enraged. A dangerous state, to be sure, but an opponent fighting emotionally would become sloppy. Katashi was confident that they could take advantage of the Daiyoukai's mistakes.

The night wore on, dawn coming nearer and nearer. Something needed to change.

"Kentaro!" Katashi barked, his voice surprisingly high given his overall scruffy appearance.

"Yes?" the stoic panther responded quietly.

"Grab the artifact," Katashi ordered, "we're going to start moving it again."

* * *

Dawn was approaching. Rin would likely wake within the hour, and then they could return to their journey. Only one more day lay between them and InuYasha's village. Just as Sesshomaru turned to head back to camp, the feeling in his gut shifted, becoming something more identifiable: reiki. It was a fairly strong source of it, and it was heading directly for him at an alarming speed. He estimated that the monk would be upon him before he could break camp.

Sesshomaru had no doubt that he would be able to engage a human monk in combat, but he didn't want to do it so near to his camp, where his pack was at risk. He decided to move out to face the threat head-on. He charged through the forest, rapidly approaching the source of the reiki.

When he emerged into the clearing, all he found was a simple portable shrine that the humans tended to use in their travels. It was brimming with the power of reiki, but it wasn't a monk. The fact that the shrine was abandoned here meant only one thing. Sesshomaru about-faced and poured on a massive burst of speed, attempting to return to his camp as quickly as he could.

Rin's screech informed him that he was too late.

* * *

Rin was rudely awoken to the sight of a claw being swept at her face. Her instincts kicked into overdrive, and she vaulted out of the way, putting the black-furred panther youkai that had just attacked her into her vision. Immediately, the panther adjusted its aim, catching her on the arm. Rin let out an alarmed screech, hoping that it wasn't too late for Sesshomaru to come save her. Jaken and Ah-Un were roused instantly, but there were more youkai coming out of the trees. Jaken quickly brought the Staff of Two Heads to the ready, and was spewing fire at the new invaders. Ah-Un was kicking and biting at anything that came within reach. None of which helped Rin as the panther youkai came in for the killing blow. Something inside of her snapped.

* * *

Katashi approached the camp with a smug smile on his face. He could clearly see that the imp and dragon were quickly being overwhelmed, despite their best efforts. The panther had attacked first, followed by the monkeys. The kitsune held back, waiting for Sesshomaru's return to join the battle. Katashi himself was also waiting for the Daiyoukai's appearance. At least, he was, before he felt an absolutely _feral_ pulse of youki.

As Katashi entered the camp, his forces began screaming in agony. They stumbled back, clutching at vicious, bloody claw wounds that were festering with a green tinted poison. Their assailant gave them no quarter, a small white-haired body slashing them in half as they looked to their leader with desperate eyes.

The being stopped for a moment, glowing green claws, dripping with fresh blood, extended, head lowered, hair covering its eyes. The being's head snapped up, staring Katashi in the eyes. It was the hanyou girl, but it was now radiating the power of a full-blooded youkai. The sclera of its eyes were blood red, it's irises a chilling blue. The crescent moon on its forehead was jagged and distorted, and it had two equally distorted stripes on each cheek.

Katashi was so frozen in shock and fear, that he never had a chance to act, a blade crackling with green lightning piercing his back and protruding from his chest. His final seconds in the world of the living were pure agony.

* * *

Sesshomaru withdrew Bakusaiga from the pathetic monkey youkai with little thought, his mind focused entirely on Rin's transformed state. She started it him with a malice that he had never thought to see on the girl's face. She was smiling, but it wasn't her usual, bright smile. This one was a smile of bloodlust, the pure joy of taking life. Sesshomaru froze in disbelief, seeing it on Rin's face.

That hesitation nearly cost him his life, as Rin jumped at him, swinging her claws in a savagely fast and accurate strike at his neck. Only his lightning reflexes saved him from being beheaded. Sesshomaru continued to dodges as the transformed Rin kept swiping at him. Her claws were glowing green, and likely coursing with her Dokuso technique. The poison wouldn't kill him, but there was a good chance that it would slow him down, and that would be the end of him. It didn't help that if Bakusaiga so much as grazed her, she would be dead within a minute, and she wasn't giving him enough time to sheathe the sword.

Rin suddenly stopped her onslaught, sniffing furiously at the air. Sesshomaru immediately sheathed Bakusaiga, and waited for her next attack, his mind working desperately to find some way to snap her out of this transformation. With a feral screech, she leapt to Sesshomaru's right, her mind focused on some target that Sesshomaru couldn't see. His nose told him that it was a kitsune.

The Daiyouaki immediately charged after his ward, intent on finding a way to stop her. She leapt into a tree, and Sesshomaru could hear her claws swiping furiously through the branches and leaves. He heard a male voice cry out in pain, likely the kitsune. It dropped out of the tree, sending out a constant stream of fairly potent Fox Fire, but Rin just leapt through it as if it was a light breeze. The kitsune's eyes widened in terror as it realized that it couldn't dodge Rin's next strike. Her claws rent the youkai from its right shoulder to its left hip, the kitsune unleashing an agonized scream as it died. Before Rin could round on Sesshomaru again, he used his immense speed to close on her, striking her _hard_ on the back of the head. To his relief, she collapsed into an unresponsive heap. Alive, but unconscious.

* * *

 **A/N: Did you all think I forgot about InuYasha's "full-youkai" transformations? Of course I didn't. This was another point that I had been planning from the beginning. I was originally going to have it be a random youkai attack (it still kind of is, in a way), but, with the introduction of the court subplot in the last chapter, these particular youkai now have a better reason to attack. Anyway, that's all from me. All reviews are appreciated.**


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